Great apes can mirror each other’s facial expressions and grimaces as part of a complex communication process. A new study sheds light on how this actually works. Orangutans and other great apes can do something very special. They replicate each other’s facial expressions, just like us humans do. Although this […]

Heavy rains and widespread flooding hit Sumatra at the end of last year. The effects were worsened by extensive deforestation, which has severely weakened the ecosystem and the disaster struck hard against people, orangutans and other wildlife. Save the Orangutan contributed to emergency relief efforts to help the local population. […]

For young orangutan Monita, the past few months have brought big changes, including one of the most important milestones in her journey so far: her move from Forest School to the pre-release island. For young orangutan Monita, the past few months have brought big changes, including one of the most […]

We are delighted to welcome three new colleagues to the Save the Orangutan team! Meet Elisabeth Moltke, Valentina Bravo Jara and Linnie Löfgren, who all joined us in autumn 2024. Together, they bring valuable expertise to support our important mission to protect the critically endangered orangutans and conserve their rainforest […]

Save the Orangutan welcomes two new well-merited project managers. They will be responsible for our programmes in Borneo. Our local focus on forest conservation, people and the wild orangutans is growing. Therefore, we are very happy to be able to welcome two new and highly qualified project managers. They will […]

Save the Orangutan has, in cooperation with Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOSF), been running a school project with focus on adaptation to climate change. The project, which recently ended, has in a short time given children in Mawas much more insight into the importance of nature, the environment and extreme weather phenomena. In just one […]

An international research team has observed an orangutan treating a facial wound with healing leaves. A behaviour that has never before been recorded among animals. The researchers believe that the ability to use medicinal plants may come from a common ancestor of humans and great apes. Rakus had an open […]

Orangutans’ behaviour suggests that they experience complex emotions. This area is not so easy to research but a lot of behavioural observations reveal that orangutans can show empathy and understand the feelings of others. There are also concrete examples of this from the rehabilitation centre Nyaru Menteng. One of the […]